Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) CEO Siya-bonga Gama has told Mining Weekly that construction of the coal rail link between Botswana and South Africa will start next year, enabling junior coal miners to access markets.
The South African State-owned transport and logistics company is undertaking the project as part of a R300-billion investment programme intended to expand rail, port and pipelines infrastructure to improve trade between South Africa and international markets.
In an interview in Gaborone, Botswana, on the sidelines of a regional coal conference organised by International Quality and Productivity, last week, Gama said feasibility studies on the coal link would be completed by the end of this year and spade work would follow immediately. “We are finalising feasibility studies [and we] will start constructing the rail link in 2015, immediately after the completion of feasibility studies.”
He said TFR had allocated about R40-billion for the construction of the 105 km heavy haul-line, aimed at transporting coal from Botswana to South Africa for shipment to international markets. Between 40-million tons and 80-million tons would be transported on the line each, with some of this tonnage to be delivered to power utility Eskom. “Some will be transported to Richards Bay for export to the international market. We are planning to develop the Richards Bay Coal Terminal to support the expected [volumes] from Botswana and the Waterberg coalfield, in South Africa,” he said.